Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Paul Sample.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman noted the on-going review of polling stations, details of which were available from the back of the room.

Presentation from David Milton (Team Leader, Spatial Planning, Wiltshire Council) on the implications of the Wiltshire Core Strategy and how this will impact on Salisbury, in terms of future housing development.

At the Chairman’s invitation, David Milton (Team Leader, Spatial Planning, Wiltshire Council) gave a presentation on the implications of the Wiltshire Core Strategy and how this would impact on Salisbury, in terms of future housing and commercial development.

The South Wiltshire Core Strategy had been adopted by the Council and had been incorporated into the Wiltshire Core Strategy, which was currently out for consultation on the soundness of the document prior to submission to the Secretary of State.  The document set out the settlement strategy for South Wiltshire, including 9,900 new homes (of which 6,000 would be in the Salisbury and Wilton area) and around 10,400 new jobs (including 29 ha of employment land in Salisbury and Wilton). 

David referred to each major site identified for development in the Salisbury area in the Core Strategy:

·         Churchfields – mixed use: 1100 dwellings, plus leisure and business.

·         Former UK Land Forces HQ – mixed use: 450 dwellings and 3 ha employment land.

·         Former Imerys Quarry – 4 ha employment land.

·         Fugglestone Red – mixed use: 1250 dwellings and 8 ha employment land.

·         Longhedge – mixed use – 450 dwellings and 8 ha employment land.

·         Hampton Park – 500 dwellings.

·         The Maltings and Central Car Park – Regeneration Programme.

·         Kings Gate, Amesbury – 1300 dwellings.

David also noted the importance of managing the impact of each development, and referred to the Inspector’s view that the Core Strategy should make reference to the Transport Strategy’s conclusion that the “Radical Option” would best enable Salisbury to address future growth in travel demand.

The Chairman thanked David for the presentation and invited questions and comments:

·         David undertook to ensure that the “Radical Option” reference was included in the final version of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

·         It was noted that, until the Community Infrastructure Levy was in place, the Council would continue to negotiate developer contributions on a case-by-case basis.

·         Concern was raised that the residential development was mainly on the West of the City, with the majority of the larger shops on the East.

·         David commented on the opportunity for communities to shape their futures through Neighbourhood Plans.  These could be developed and become part of the Core Strategy, subject to consultation and tests of soundness.

·         Reference was made to the Inspector’s decision to include Hampton Park in the Core Strategy, against the wishes of the community and the local authority.

·         In response to a question, David, noted that the Council was still in negotiation with Wiltshire College over potential relocation in the future.  This would release land for residential development, but was a long-term objective.

Presentation on the Local Transport Plan (LTP3) showing the context of the current strategy, and setting out the practical implications for the City.

The Chairman introduced Councillor Richard Gamble, Portfolio Holder for Public Transport and Allan Creedy, Head of Sustainable Transport.

Councillor Gamble explained that the Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP3) set out the Council’s approach to transport planning and had been adopted in early 2011.

Most bus services in Salisbury were commercial, with a few subsidised services on Sundays and in evenings.  These had been reviewed and retendered in 2011 as part of the LTP3.  The Council was also working towards entering into a Quality Bus Partnership with Wilts & Dorset, Stagecoach, and Hatts, as part of an initiative instigated by the Salisbury Vision.  This special arrangement would facilitate the delivery of real benefits for Salisbury bus users, including improvements to routes, network marketing, and multi-operator tickets.  The engagement with the Bus Operators achieved through the partnership was already delivering positive benefits for the city.

Work was also on-going with Wilts & Dorset towards a bid for government “Better Bus Area” funding.  This would also draw in additional investment from the company, and could lead to a number of improvements, including upgrading and extending the realtime information service, removal of hazards,  improvements to waiting facilities at the bus station, and new buses. (Note: Subsequent to the meeting, Councillor Gamble confirmed that this bid had been successful, with nearly £385,000 being awarded, and a further £1 million investment proposed by Wilts and Dorset).

The realtime passenger information service had been in place for a while, with bus stops showing expected times of buses.  However, the accuracy of this had been improved over the past year, with GPRS mobile phone technology being used in place of radio signals. 

Another recent development was the Harnham Bus Lane, which had reduced bus journey times in from the Britford Park and Ride.  The Park and Ride service itself had seen use grow, now resulting in 1100 cars per day taken off roads in the city centre.

An ambition for the future was to develop a bus/rail interchange, possibly by improving access from the North side of the railway station.  Another future project would be to develop cycle hire schemes for the city.

Allan Creedy explained that the LTP3 had been developed in a similar way to the Core Strategy, with future projections based on evidence and a central policy document supported by separate, daughter documents.  In total the plan was responsible for around £17 million of annual capital spending in 2011/12 with around £14.5 million spent on structural maintenance, and £2.5 million invested in integrated transport improvements.

In relation to Salisbury, a range of options had been considered to deliver growth in sustainable transport for the city.  The proposed package of improvements sought to providing promote and support sustainable transport, with economy and environment as the drivers.

It was noted that the economic situation had a huge impact on transport schemes, with the ambitious projects of 10 years ago being scaled down and/or delivered through other mechanisms.  The Government had also proposed a new funding model  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

Presentation from Margaret Wilmot, of Salisbury City Community Area Partnership, on the Transport section of the Community Area Plan.

Opportunity for comments and suggestions.

General questions and comments were made, including:

·         It was agreed that the impact of the school run on traffic was huge, and that addressing this should be a key action in the plan.

·         Concern was raised regarding the impact of the proposed new development at Fugglestone Red on the Devizes Road, from the outskirts to the St Paul’s Roundabout..

·         Ralph Bryder, of the Civic Society, invited comments on the proposals to close Minster Street and Silver Street to traffic, details of which were set out at the back of the room.  Comments could be set to Ralph.bryder@btinternet.com

The Area Board will draw the discussion to a close, noting any actions and setting out the next stage of the process.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending, and for their contributions to the discussion.

It was acknowledged that many of these strategic issues could not be resolved at a single meeting, but rather over a period of time.  A number of useful ideas had been raised and these would be captured for further consideration, possibly through a Salisbury Transport Plan.

To consider any other Business which the Chairman considers urgent.

None.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 17 May, 7pm in The Alamein Suite, City Hall, Malthouse Lane, Salisbury SP2 7TU.

The next meeting of the Salisbury Area Board would be held on 17 May 2012, 7pm in The Alamein Suite, City Hall, Malthouse Lane, Salisbury SP2 7TU.

In addition, an event on the Joint Strategic Assessment was being held at 7pm, in the Guildhall on Thursday 29 March.  All were welcome to attend and contribute to this event which would feed in to the Community Plan.